Reading AMPS from a solar panel
I have a 12v - 120W solar panel on my TC. This is controlled by a Morningstar Sunsaver 20 into a single group 27 wet cell battery. I have a Trimetric 2025RV battery monitor installed. As far as ...
Forum Discussion
I know you have already started on your project but let me just pass along what I am going to do with my two 120WATT SOLAR PANEL install.
I currently have this HOMEMADE BATTERY MONITOR PANEL for viewing my BATTERy STATUS inside my trailer.
This reads my two selected battery banks showing the battery voltage using two 7-30VDC VOLTMETERS Sure Electronics ME-SP038 models. Then I have a 0-70A +/- DC Current meter SURE Electronics model SP230 reading the selected battery banks feeding my trailer system.
My current diagram looks something like this...
With this setup I can read any of my now three batteries or all of them etc and also can detect how many DC AMPS is being drawn by my system as well as how many DC AMPS is being put into my batteries when in charge mode.
I will incorporate about the same setup for monitoring my two 120WATT SOLAR PANELS. It will be the same looking three meter panel with a DC VOLTMETER reading the DC OUTPUTS of each SOLAR ARRAY and how much DC current out of the SOLAR CONTROLLER is feeding my trailer batteries when charging my batteries. I plan on having a four position BLUE SEA Selector switch (OFF-PNL1-BOTH-PNL2) between the SOLAR PANELS and the SOLAR CONTROLLER. This is where I will be reading my DC VOLTAGE for each selected solar panel. My other BANK1-BANK2 meter panel will capture the SOLAR CONTROLLER charging DC Voltages. My 75A DC CURRENT meter will be showing how many DC AMPS out of the SOLAR CONTROLLER will be feeding the battery banks
The SURE ELECTRONICS DC AMMETER is a HALL EFFECT meter that uses a donut where all you do is route the DC CABLE thru the sensor and it will display this reading on the meter. Sure seems alot more simple than what you going thru routing all those HIGH CURRENT cables all over the place.
These SURE ELECTRONIC meter units are inexpensive and was ordered from EBAY/CHINA source.
This is my basic gameplan planning but of course who knows what will change as I get closer to actually doing the project...
Just food for thought here...
Roy Ken
I currently have this HOMEMADE BATTERY MONITOR PANEL for viewing my BATTERy STATUS inside my trailer.
This reads my two selected battery banks showing the battery voltage using two 7-30VDC VOLTMETERS Sure Electronics ME-SP038 models. Then I have a 0-70A +/- DC Current meter SURE Electronics model SP230 reading the selected battery banks feeding my trailer system.
My current diagram looks something like this...
With this setup I can read any of my now three batteries or all of them etc and also can detect how many DC AMPS is being drawn by my system as well as how many DC AMPS is being put into my batteries when in charge mode.
I will incorporate about the same setup for monitoring my two 120WATT SOLAR PANELS. It will be the same looking three meter panel with a DC VOLTMETER reading the DC OUTPUTS of each SOLAR ARRAY and how much DC current out of the SOLAR CONTROLLER is feeding my trailer batteries when charging my batteries. I plan on having a four position BLUE SEA Selector switch (OFF-PNL1-BOTH-PNL2) between the SOLAR PANELS and the SOLAR CONTROLLER. This is where I will be reading my DC VOLTAGE for each selected solar panel. My other BANK1-BANK2 meter panel will capture the SOLAR CONTROLLER charging DC Voltages. My 75A DC CURRENT meter will be showing how many DC AMPS out of the SOLAR CONTROLLER will be feeding the battery banks
The SURE ELECTRONICS DC AMMETER is a HALL EFFECT meter that uses a donut where all you do is route the DC CABLE thru the sensor and it will display this reading on the meter. Sure seems alot more simple than what you going thru routing all those HIGH CURRENT cables all over the place.
These SURE ELECTRONIC meter units are inexpensive and was ordered from EBAY/CHINA source.
This is my basic gameplan planning but of course who knows what will change as I get closer to actually doing the project...
Just food for thought here...
Roy Ken
